The Grimm that burns brightest
by bytekhan
Summary: Hank is somehow seeing Wesen that haven't woged.
1. Chapter 1

Hank took slow long drag from his ice cold beer. He'd be driving home in about an hour and as one of Portland's finest, he wasn't about to take a chance on getting pulled over for driving under the influence. One beer would be just enough and he was determined to make it last as long as possible even though the medium rare 1/3 lb burger with everything that he had order hadn't even arrived yet.

Across from him sat Monroe, already starting on his second glass of some dark red wine. Hank guessed that it was a Merlot or Cabernet but that was about as deep as his knowledge of wines got. Despite himself, Hank couldn't help but smile a little. Here was Monroe, a Wesen, a Bludbat no less, sitting here amongst 15 or so people who had no idea what he really was. If he were to show himself, the patrons of this small bar & grill in the industrial section of the city would practically kill themselves heading for the door.

"Hank, you gotta try this Pinot noir. It's delicious. It'll go great with that burger you ordered. You know what they say, red wine with red meat.", Monroe stated suddenly snapping Hank out his momentary daydreaming.

"And Monroe, you know what I say about beer. It goes with everything!", Hank said with a laugh. He and Monroe had become pretty good friends over the last few years. Not best friends but definitely good friends. More importantly, he had learned he could count on Monroe in the far too common dangerous situations they found themselves in. On more than one occasion it had taken a Wesen to defeat a Wesen often in a fatal fashion.

"Alright, you don't know what you're missing.", Monroe finished and then took another sip of his wine in an mockingly cultured manner.

Monroe and Hank had been supposed to meet with Nick tonight to go over something new that Nick had found out about Grimms and those who associate with them. Hank hadn't got much from Nick other than that. And when Hank had questioned Monroe about it, Monroe didn't have any more details then Hank had gotten from Nick. They both knew it most be really important. Nick was now an experienced Grimm and not many things or creatures these days would rattle him. But when Hank had gotten the call from Nick a few hours ago, he could hear the edginess in Nick's voice and Monroe had noticed the same thing. In any case, Hank wasn't too worried. With Juliette's unexpected pregnancy, it wouldn't surprise him if the normally punctual Nick would be occasionally late.

"This wine is nice but I sure wished they'd serve our food already. I'm getting a little hungry and a hungry Bludbat is not very friendly if you know what I mean.", Monroe said slightly sniffing the air. "And where the heck is Nick?".

"Nick is probably picking up some pickles and ice cream or some other nasty combination of culinary delights.", Hank answered with a grimace. "Still though, I'm surprised he hasn't at least called to let us know he is on the way.", Hank finished.

Just then, their waitress walked up to their table holding two plates of food. Hank probably should've been happy to finally get the burger he had ordered but the waitress was Wesen! He wasn't sure how he was seeing it but she had definitely woged. The waitress for her part either didn't know she had woged or didn't care. She seemed to be behaving as if everything was perfectly normal, setting down the plates of food with a nod and a smile in a Wesen fashion. Hank's eyes never left her as she walked away.

"She is kinda cute, I get why you are checking her out so hard but you have to play it cool like me.", Monroe joked.

"Did..did you see that? She was Wesen.", Hank said in almost a whisper. His eyes still following the waitress as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Come on Hank, if she were a Wesen and you could see her, then everyone including me could see her and I'm sure it would raise at least a few eyebrows.", Monroe chided him.

"Uh..uh...", Hank stammered as he finally looked back at Monroe.

"What is it Hank? Do I have spinach stuck in my teeth or something?"

"I...I..can..."

"Hank, are you okay?", Monroe said a little more seriously.

"Monroe, I can see you in your Wesen form.", Hank said almost inaudibly.

"Hank, that's not possible. Not even a Grimm can see us in our true form if we haven't woged voluntarily or involuntarily.", Monroe said just before Hank slumped in his chair and passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

Hank knew exactly where he was at before he even opened his eyes. The strange acrid smells could only mean that he was in Rosalee's shop. Monroe has once told him that he was lucky. For a Wesen, Monroe had said back then, the smells could be overwhelming. For a non-Wesen, they were an irritant at worse. He had been in the room many times when an impromptu procedure had been performed on either a Wesen or non-Wesen. Usually it involved tying the patient down to prevent someone from getting hurt. Hank himself had been tied down to the couch himself at least once that he remembered.

Lying on the couch in the back room of the shop, Hank tried to put the pieces of last night together. He had hoped that it had been a vivid dream but the fact that he was lying on this particular couch was proof enough that last night had been all too real. He couldn't understand why Monroe had needed to woge in order to help him out of diner. He also recalled seeing a number of other Wesen as they made their way to Monroe's VW and his mind searched for a valid reason. In the other room he could hear familiar voices. Nick and Monroe were having a heated yet whispered discussion. They apparently we're trying not to wake him.

"That's not possible", Nick whispered, "even a Grimm cannot see a Wesen unless he has woged."

"I'm telling you Nick, Hank could see me! In fact, he could see the waitress and neither one of us had woged! Heck, I didn't even know the waitress was Wesen.", Monroe responded.

Nick walked to the door that lead to the back room of the shop and took a quick pick in. Hank appeared to still be out. Given the current situation, it probably wasn't such a bad thing.

"Ok, so is Hank now somehow a Grimm?", Nick asked.

"No, I think we may be seeing a manifestation of a Grobsehen"

Nick had a look on his face that told Monroe that he obviously expected him to explain what the hell a "Grobsehen" was. It had been his plan the previous night to meet up with Monroe and Hank to discuss why Grimms typically worked alone when having a partner such as Hank seemed to be invaluable.

Monroe continued, "A Grobsehen is someone who suddenly gets the ability to see all Wesen for what we truly are. Grimms are born with the ability to see woged Wesen. Becoming a Grobsehen is like a catching a disease suddenly and unexpectedly and it usually comes from closely associating with a Grimm over an extended period of time."

Nick thought for a moment. Having his partner being able to see Wesen wouldn't be such a bad thing. It would make their job a whole lot less dangerous if they knew before hand what they were dealing with.

"Nick, I know what you are thinking but this is really bad for Hank. In fact, this is bad for all of us. The Wesen community's only real protection from non-Wesen is that you can't see us unless we want you to or we've involuntarily woged. If just anyone could see us without any special power like a Grimm has, we would've been rounded up and exterminated a long time ago!"

It didn't take long for Monroe's last statement to sink in. Hank or any Grobsehen would be the most dangerous person alive for all Wesen.

"The thing is Nick, Grobsehen don't last very long. First of all, Wesen must report any suspected Grobsehen sighting to the Wesen council or face retribution ourselves. Our survival as a species depends on it. This of course means the council will send all possible resources to eliminate the threat as soon as possible. Secondly, if the Grobsehen aren't killed, their brain eventually burns itself out. It's some type of mental circuit breaker that can't be fixed. By the way, Grobsehen aren't are rare as you think. Just visit your local psycho ward and I'm sure you'll find a few in a vegetative state. There is a reason why Grimms tend to work alone."

Nick began to pace back and forth. The reality was that he had done this to Hank. He needed to fix this but he had no idea how to do so and he suspected that neither did Monroe.

"So what do we do Monroe?", Nick asked. "There has got to be a way to undo this before the Wesen council gets word because once they do, there are going to be lots of dead Wesen before I let them get to Hank!"

"First I'm gotta inform the council Nick. I have to protect Rosalee. Then we should head over to the trailer..."

It was at that moment that Hank stepped out of the back room of the shop with his gun leveled at the Bludbat that a shrinking part of his mind knew was Monroe. If the Wesen were going to declare war on him, he would pick the battlefield and definitely wouldn't be Rosalee's shop.


	3. Chapter 3

Hank wasn't panicking, his police training prevented him from doing so, not to mention that the last few years working with Nick and Monroe had enured him against almost anything. But he had to admit, even to himself, that he as a little bit scared. Before last night, he had seen quite a few Wesen that had woged and it was typically in a dangerous situation. This was a completely different situation. Seeing Wesen casually crossing the street in front of him or even right next to him while he rode in a car was unnerving and then some. He had taken the keys from Nick to their police cruiser with the goal of just finding someplace to think and clear his head but he was very wrong. Seeing Portland in this new light did anything but.

He was driving down 23rd and his sample was small but it was like the whole city of Portland was Wesen! The rational part of his mind estimated that about 10% of the population were Wesen of some type but the rest of his mind had come to the conclusion that Wesen were everywhere. Hank had almost wrecked the car screeching to a stop when he passed a park and saw what looked like two small Wesen chasing an adolescent child. He had been a moment away from jumping out of the car with his revolver drawn when he heard the laughter of children playing. It was then that he realized that what he was seeing were just three kids playing in park laughing as children will do. It scared him that he had been seconds away from making a very fatal mistake.

It was the same everywhere he drove. Wesen going about their daily lives, buying coffee, getting on the bus, walking dogs. Just normal everyday things. Monroe had educated Hank and Nick to the fact that most Wesen didn't know a Wesen was a Wesen unless they made it known. Hank had never thought much about this but now that he had given it some thought over the last few hours, he realized that in the Wesen community it was probably a good idea that, at least on the surface, Wesen weren't aware of who was and who wasn't Wesen. It probably helped them lead normal safe lives amongst the majority of the population.

Hank decided that if he as going to get out of town, he'd need to pick up a few supplies. He had already determined that his next move would be a cabin near Benson Lake that he and Nick had used a few times just to get away. Hank couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Supposedly him and Nick went there to do some "fishing" but they both barely knew how to bait a hook. It was their getaway spot a couple of weekends a year during the spring and summer to drink a few beers. More importantly though, as far as he knew, only he and Nick knew about the cabin and he was certain that Nick would figure out where he was headed. He definitely needed Nick's help on this but after what he had overheard at Rosalee's shop, he didn't want to risk a call. It was better to let Nick find him.

"Siegbarste!", Hank said out loud or to himself, he wasn't quite sure. By reflex he had already drawn his revolver and pointed at the creature that had suddenly surprised him even though he knew that it likely have little affect on this type of Wesen. He had come across a Siegbarste before although he hadn't learn the name until later. That Siegbarste had been about to cave his head in with a block of concrete. When he had first walked into the small grocery store, Hank had immediately spied 2 Wesen who were simply shopping like he was. He had made a concerted effort not to look their way or acknowledge them at all for fear that they would realize he could see them as their true selves. Hank hadn't counted on a 3rd Wesen tapping him on the shoulder and simply asking for the time.

"Did you say Siegbarste?", the big Wesen asked.

"Uh..uh...", Hank tried to answer but couldn't and he was unable to lower his gun. This was obviously not the Siegbarste that had tried to kill him a few years back but his fear was taking hold at a instinctual level. At this point, everyone in the small store was staring at him including the 2 Wesen he had seen when he had first walked in. Hank was staring eye to eye with the Wesen that stood before him and as much as he wanted to put his revolver back in his holster, he couldn't bring himself to do so. Finally after what seemed like minutes the Siegbarste spoke.

" Grobsehen!", the Wesen said in a guttural voice that Hank had heard countless times before. Even in that deep bass voice, Hank could tell that the Siegbarste was shocked and that there was a bit of fear in his voice despite what he was.

Then the Siegbarste woged and now Hank could see him in his true menacing form. To Hank, he appeared to have grown a foot and now there were huge muscles threatening to burst through Oregon Duck Football t-shirt he had on. In the corner of his eye, Hank had also glimpsed that the other 2 Wesen had woged also. One was already quickly heading towards the double glass doors that lead outside of the store. The other though, was one the phone. If Monroe hadn't been exaggerating, the Wesen council would soon be heading his way. In fact, Hank thought, all Wesen everywhere would be looking for him.

Without thinking, Hank grabbed the bag of groceries he hadn't yet paid for and began backing out of the store, his revolver still trained on the big Wesen. As a precaution, he took a quick glance at the other Wesen that was still one the phone talking in an excited voice but he kept his gun aimed at the forehead of the more dangerous Siegbarste as he back his way out the double glass doors. He didn't want to shoot the Wesen but he wanted it clear that he would do what he had to do and he certainly didn't want anyone following him out the store. "Nick I need some help here." It was Hank last thought as he slammed the car door shut and smoked the tires as he got back onto 23rd.


End file.
